A PFO is a small flap in the heart present in 1/4 of the whole population.
It is present in 50% of young strokes that have no obvious cause.
The RESPECT trial suggested benefit from closing the PFO with an umbrella device. After a long think, the Food And Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed that this can be a useful procedure.
The final results of the RESPECT trial at 5 years follow up should be coming soon.
Dr Malik has a large experience of PFO Closure in divers and patients with stroke.
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